Esters of sugar alcohol and fatty acid, which are condensates of polyhydric alcohol and fatty acid, are widely used as nonionic surfactants added to foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergents for kitchen, and the like because an ester of sugar alcohol and fatty acid has a remarkable interface activity, good biodegradability and safety, and the like.
As an industrial production method for an ester of polyhydric alcohol and fatty acid, a method for heating a polyhydric alcohol and a fatty acid in the presence of a catalyst (or in the absence of a catalyst), and the like are known.
Moreover, Patent Literature 1 describes a method for producing an ester of sugar alcohol and fatty acid, wherein a sugar alcohol having 4 to 6 carbon atoms and a lower alcohol ester of a fatty acid are subjected to a transesterification reaction in the presence of an alkali metal salt.
Moreover, Non Patent Literatures 1 and 2 describe methods for producing an ester of sugar and fatty acid using an enzyme.